Steve Alexander

Offseason Beat

NBA Free Agency Round Up

NBA Free agency kicked off at midnight on Friday night/Saturday morning and there was a lot of action. While there are still a lot of unknowns out there, including who Kyle Lowry is drawing interest from, here’s what we know as of 3 a.m. on Saturday. You can follow me on Twitter by clicking here!

Pacer Paul George was traded to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis on Friday night. Russell Westbrook finally gets a stud to play alongside again, although George still wants to end up with the Lakers when it’s all said and done, making him likely nothing more than a one-year rental in OKC. Westbrook’s crazy usage rate might hurt George’s numbers slightly, but not enough to be a true red flag in fantasy. And the Thunder should be better than they were last season with George in tow.

Oladipo in Indy should be fun, as he’ll return to the state where he was a star for the Indiana Hoosiers in college. Dipo should be a focal point of the Pacers’ offense and they will love his defense. Sabonis showed some flashes last year, but will need to improve his defense if he’s going to make a dent with his new team.

Steph Curry signs supermax deal with the Warriors

Stephen Curry agreed to a five-year, $201 million deal to stay with the Warriors just after midnight on Saturday. The two-time MVP got his supermax and should be in Golden State for at least the next five years.

Blake Griffin will re-sign with the Clippers on a five-year, $173 million deal. The 28-year-old Griffin got the monster payday he’s been looking for, although things will be different in L.A. without Chris Paul (Rockets) and FA J.J. Redick this season. Griffin may be an even bigger piece of the Clippers’ puzzle without CP3 running the offense and Griffin could improve on his fourth-round fantasy value he posted last season (according to Basketballmonster.com).

The Nuggets and Wolves are said to be the front-runners to land Paul Millsap, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The Kings and Suns are also in the hunt for Millsap and it appears h has little interest in returning to the Hawks. Gorgui Dieng and Millsap would have to share minutes in Minnesota, which would not be great news for either of them. Denver wouldn’t be ideal either, with Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler already on board.

Utah thinks they can re-sign Gordon Hayward, but he’s still going to meet with Heat and Celtics this weekend. We’re probably not going to know where Hayward is going until Monday or Tuesday, and while it’s nice that the Jazz are confident they can keep him, the Celtics hold a powerful set of cards in that coach Brad Stevens coached Hayward at Butler.

The Nets, Sixers and Timberwolves all are interested in signing J.J. Redick and it appears his time with the Clippers is over. The Wolves might be a good fit for Redick since they’re desperate for shooters, but he would also likely flourish in Brooklyn or Philly.

The Bulls parted ways with Rajon Rondo on Friday and the Lakers spoke to him after midnight on Saturday morning. Lonzo Ball is the future for the Lakers, but Rondo would be a solid backup point guard for them, or even possibly a starter. But he’s not a great locker room guy, meaning he’s not an ideal role model and mentor for Ball. Rondo’s also been linked to the Pelicans and the Pacers.

Shaun Livingston agreed to re-sign with the Warriors on a three-year, $24 million deal. Livingston might have made more cash by signing with another team, but he loves playing with the Warriors and championships could continue to be plentiful for the reserve guard.

Swingman Tony Snell has agreed to a four-year, $46 million deal to re-sign with the Bucks. Snell is a nice player, but is averaging just 6.2 points over his career after scoring 8.5 points per game last year. This is a lot of money for Snell and we’ll have to see if the gamble pays off or not.

The Spurs will re-sign Patty Mills to a four-year, $50 million deal. With Tony Parker’s advanced age and spiraling skills, Millsap is an important piece for the Spurs, although Dejounte Murray looks like the future in San Antonio. But with Chris Paul off the board in Houston, Mills still has a shot at big minutes for the Spurs this year.

Nerlens Noel and the Mavs had a positive discussion and he’s excited to play in Dallas next season, although nothing is official yet.

The Warriors will likely go after F Rudy Gay if they’re unable to re-sign Andre Iguodala. Iguodala is an important role player off the bench for the Warriors, but Gay is a lot younger and would be a nice replacement if they lose Iguodala. The Spurs and the Kings are also in on Gay, while a lot of teams, including the Lakers, are also interested in Iguodala.

The Nets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, are committed to starting both Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell in their backcourt this season. Russell might end up leading the Nets in scoring this season, while Lin will try to keep his hamstrings healthy this time around.

Danilo Gallinari is also being targeted by the Clippers, who are scrambling to try to regroup after losing Chris Paul, and likely J.J. Redick. The Nuggets can offer Gallo the best deal so they’re still the favorites to land him, but the Clippers may go after him as hard as any other team in the league.

Jrue Holiday is expected to meet with the Knicks if he doesn’t re-sign with the Pelicans. He met with the Pelicans on Saturday morning but didn’t reach an agreement.

Otto Porter met with the Wizards after midnight but a deal wasn’t reached, apparently. The Wizards have said they’ll match any offer he receives, so chances are he’ll be back in Washington this season.

The Knicks are interested in FA big man Alan Big Sauce Williams, currently of the Suns. Williams is a blast to watch but doesn’t shoot threes or make many free throws, making him a tricky fantasy center to own.

The Knicks are still interested in bringing back Derrick Rose, according to Wojnarowski. Other reports have called Rose a long shot to return to the team, while New York is said to prefer George Hill instead.

With Ricky Rubio now with the Jazz, George Hill is out in Utah and the Knicks appear to be the early front-runners for his services after the Spurs broke off discussions with Hill. The Nuggets are also said to be in play for Hill.

Swingman Jonathon Simmons is drawing interest from the Spurs, Kings, Clippers and Wolves. The Spurs are said to only be offering about $9 million per year to Juice, so it’s quite possible he ends up signing with a new team for the upcoming season.

Joe Ingles has meetings with the Clippers and Jazz this weekend, although he hasn’t started negotiations yet. The Clippers are said to be very interested in him, even though they cut him in 2014.

The Cavaliers are said to have interest in PF Zach Randolph. The Kings, Thunder and Clippers also have some interest, despite the fact that Z-Bo will be 36 years old in a few days.

The Rockets have agreed to re-sign Nene to a four-year, $15 million deal. He’s 34 years old and completely unreliable in fantasy these days, although he did have some big outings for the Rockets last year.

The Lakers, Knicks, Bucks and Grizzlies are all said to be interested in SG Ben McLemore. He’s never really lived up to the hype but has played well at times. He might be a good fit for the Lakers, but he’s not going to be a highly sought after fantasy target regardless of where he lands.

Big man Cristiano Felicio has agreed to re-sign with the Bulls on a four-year $32 million contract. The Bulls are entering the rebuilding zone so Felicio could end up being a sleeper center this season.

Amir Johnson has been linked to the Rockets, Bulls, Nets and Raptors, so it doesn’t appear that he’ll end up back in Boston.

Point guard Ron Baker has agreed to re-sign with the Knicks. He’s a fan favorite in New York, but averaged just 4.1 points and 2.1 assists last season.

NBA Free agency kicked off at midnight on Friday night/Saturday morning and there was a lot of action. While there are still a lot of unknowns out there, including who Kyle Lowry is drawing interest from, here’s what we know as of 3 a.m. on Saturday. You can follow me on Twitter by clicking here!

Pacer Paul George was traded to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis on Friday night. Russell Westbrook finally gets a stud to play alongside again, although George still wants to end up with the Lakers when it’s all said and done, making him likely nothing more than a one-year rental in OKC. Westbrook’s crazy usage rate might hurt George’s numbers slightly, but not enough to be a true red flag in fantasy. And the Thunder should be better than they were last season with George in tow.

Oladipo in Indy should be fun, as he’ll return to the state where he was a star for the Indiana Hoosiers in college. Dipo should be a focal point of the Pacers’ offense and they will love his defense. Sabonis showed some flashes last year, but will need to improve his defense if he’s going to make a dent with his new team.

Steph Curry signs supermax deal with the Warriors

Stephen Curry agreed to a five-year, $201 million deal to stay with the Warriors just after midnight on Saturday. The two-time MVP got his supermax and should be in Golden State for at least the next five years.

Blake Griffin will re-sign with the Clippers on a five-year, $173 million deal. The 28-year-old Griffin got the monster payday he’s been looking for, although things will be different in L.A. without Chris Paul (Rockets) and FA J.J. Redick this season. Griffin may be an even bigger piece of the Clippers’ puzzle without CP3 running the offense and Griffin could improve on his fourth-round fantasy value he posted last season (according to Basketballmonster.com).

The Nuggets and Wolves are said to be the front-runners to land Paul Millsap, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The Kings and Suns are also in the hunt for Millsap and it appears h has little interest in returning to the Hawks. Gorgui Dieng and Millsap would have to share minutes in Minnesota, which would not be great news for either of them. Denver wouldn’t be ideal either, with Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler already on board.

Utah thinks they can re-sign Gordon Hayward, but he’s still going to meet with Heat and Celtics this weekend. We’re probably not going to know where Hayward is going until Monday or Tuesday, and while it’s nice that the Jazz are confident they can keep him, the Celtics hold a powerful set of cards in that coach Brad Stevens coached Hayward at Butler.

The Nets, Sixers and Timberwolves all are interested in signing J.J. Redick and it appears his time with the Clippers is over. The Wolves might be a good fit for Redick since they’re desperate for shooters, but he would also likely flourish in Brooklyn or Philly.

The Bulls parted ways with Rajon Rondo on Friday and the Lakers spoke to him after midnight on Saturday morning. Lonzo Ball is the future for the Lakers, but Rondo would be a solid backup point guard for them, or even possibly a starter. But he’s not a great locker room guy, meaning he’s not an ideal role model and mentor for Ball. Rondo’s also been linked to the Pelicans and the Pacers.

Shaun Livingston agreed to re-sign with the Warriors on a three-year, $24 million deal. Livingston might have made more cash by signing with another team, but he loves playing with the Warriors and championships could continue to be plentiful for the reserve guard.

Swingman Tony Snell has agreed to a four-year, $46 million deal to re-sign with the Bucks. Snell is a nice player, but is averaging just 6.2 points over his career after scoring 8.5 points per game last year. This is a lot of money for Snell and we’ll have to see if the gamble pays off or not.

The Spurs will re-sign Patty Mills to a four-year, $50 million deal. With Tony Parker’s advanced age and spiraling skills, Millsap is an important piece for the Spurs, although Dejounte Murray looks like the future in San Antonio. But with Chris Paul off the board in Houston, Mills still has a shot at big minutes for the Spurs this year.

Nerlens Noel and the Mavs had a positive discussion and he’s excited to play in Dallas next season, although nothing is official yet.

The Warriors will likely go after F Rudy Gay if they’re unable to re-sign Andre Iguodala. Iguodala is an important role player off the bench for the Warriors, but Gay is a lot younger and would be a nice replacement if they lose Iguodala. The Spurs and the Kings are also in on Gay, while a lot of teams, including the Lakers, are also interested in Iguodala.

The Nets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, are committed to starting both Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell in their backcourt this season. Russell might end up leading the Nets in scoring this season, while Lin will try to keep his hamstrings healthy this time around.

Danilo Gallinari is also being targeted by the Clippers, who are scrambling to try to regroup after losing Chris Paul, and likely J.J. Redick. The Nuggets can offer Gallo the best deal so they’re still the favorites to land him, but the Clippers may go after him as hard as any other team in the league.

Jrue Holiday is expected to meet with the Knicks if he doesn’t re-sign with the Pelicans. He met with the Pelicans on Saturday morning but didn’t reach an agreement.

Otto Porter met with the Wizards after midnight but a deal wasn’t reached, apparently. The Wizards have said they’ll match any offer he receives, so chances are he’ll be back in Washington this season.

The Knicks are interested in FA big man Alan Big Sauce Williams, currently of the Suns. Williams is a blast to watch but doesn’t shoot threes or make many free throws, making him a tricky fantasy center to own.

The Knicks are still interested in bringing back Derrick Rose, according to Wojnarowski. Other reports have called Rose a long shot to return to the team, while New York is said to prefer George Hill instead.

With Ricky Rubio now with the Jazz, George Hill is out in Utah and the Knicks appear to be the early front-runners for his services after the Spurs broke off discussions with Hill. The Nuggets are also said to be in play for Hill.

Swingman Jonathon Simmons is drawing interest from the Spurs, Kings, Clippers and Wolves. The Spurs are said to only be offering about $9 million per year to Juice, so it’s quite possible he ends up signing with a new team for the upcoming season.

Joe Ingles has meetings with the Clippers and Jazz this weekend, although he hasn’t started negotiations yet. The Clippers are said to be very interested in him, even though they cut him in 2014.

The Cavaliers are said to have interest in PF Zach Randolph. The Kings, Thunder and Clippers also have some interest, despite the fact that Z-Bo will be 36 years old in a few days.

The Rockets have agreed to re-sign Nene to a four-year, $15 million deal. He’s 34 years old and completely unreliable in fantasy these days, although he did have some big outings for the Rockets last year.

The Lakers, Knicks, Bucks and Grizzlies are all said to be interested in SG Ben McLemore. He’s never really lived up to the hype but has played well at times. He might be a good fit for the Lakers, but he’s not going to be a highly sought after fantasy target regardless of where he lands.

Big man Cristiano Felicio has agreed to re-sign with the Bulls on a four-year $32 million contract. The Bulls are entering the rebuilding zone so Felicio could end up being a sleeper center this season.

Amir Johnson has been linked to the Rockets, Bulls, Nets and Raptors, so it doesn’t appear that he’ll end up back in Boston.

Point guard Ron Baker has agreed to re-sign with the Knicks. He’s a fan favorite in New York, but averaged just 4.1 points and 2.1 assists last season.

Steve "Dr. A" Alexander is the senior editor for the NBA for Rotoworld.com and a contributor to NBCSports.com. The 2017-18 NBA season marks (at least) his 16th year of covering fantasy hoops for Rotoworld. Follow him on Twitter - @Docktora.Email :Steve Alexander